Emotionality Unbound [REVIEW]

“Ballet Unbound” was a diverse mixed-repertory program that landed squarely in Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s sweet spot as a company presenting classical, modern dance, and neoclassical and contemporary ballet works. PerformanceOhio Contemporary Ballet: “Ballet Unbound”  PlaceMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square, Cleveland, March 28, 2026 WordsSteve Sucato The nearly four-decade-old Cleveland, Ohio-based troupe opened the program with Paul Taylor’s 1978 modern dance masterwork, “Airs.” Set to … Continue reading Emotionality Unbound [REVIEW]

BEST OF 2025 

By Steve Sucato 2025 was a year of experimentation for me as a professional dance writer/reviewer. I launched a monthly Airings digest on my website, artsair.art, featuring select dance news, performance impressions, and upcoming event listings, and expanded my arts coverage to include more non-dance events. So, why not end the year with one more experiment, compiling best-of-2025 lists from the dance productions and dancer … Continue reading BEST OF 2025 

The Game is On [REVIEW]

PerformanceGrand Rapids Ballet: “Diablo Rojo” by James Sofranko, “While Away“ by Jennifer Archibald, “Sherlock” by Penny Saunders PlacePeter Martin Wege Theatre, Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 24, 2025 WordsSteve Sucato for Fjord Review Move over, Matthew Bourne, there is a new voice in theatrical dance plays. Choreographer Penny Saunders’ bespoke production of “Sherlock,” performed by Grand Rapids Ballet, was not only a triumph in bringing literature’s favorite … Continue reading The Game is On [REVIEW]

Invisible Wounds [REVIEW]

Performance Wanjiru Kamuyu/WKcollective: “Fragmented Shadows” by Wanjiru Kamuyu in collaboration with Sherwood Chen and Elodie Paul Place Wexner Center, Columbus, Ohio, October 22, 2025 Words Steve Sucato for Fjord Review It was apropos that I attended choreographer Wanjiru Kamuyu’s latest work, “Fragmented Shadows,” just before Halloween. In many ways, the work felt like watching a horror movie—the dancers’ often contorted bodies and facial features looked as … Continue reading Invisible Wounds [REVIEW]

Ultimate Release [REVIEW]

Performance“Songs of the Bulbul” by Rani Khanam PlaceByham Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, October 11, 2025 WordsSteven Sucato for Fjord Review Perhaps not since Mikhail Fokine’s 1905 iconic “The Dying Swan” has there been as haunting a solo dance depiction of avian death as Aakash Odedra Company’s “Songs of the Bulbul” (2024). The 50-minute piece, inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul (nightingale) held in captivity … Continue reading Ultimate Release [REVIEW]

Heavenly Bodies [REVIEW]

Chamber Dance Project – Red AngelsSidney Harman HallWashington, D.C.June 25-27, 2025 By Steve Sucato Washington, D.C.’s 100° June weather wasn’t the only thing generating heat in the city. Chamber Dance Project’s 11th annual D.C. summer season production, “Red Angels,” produced its own scorching intensity as one of this summer’s early triumphs. Founded in 2000 in New York City by artistic director Diane Coburn Bruning and relocated … Continue reading Heavenly Bodies [REVIEW]

Changing of the Seasons [REVIEW]

Performance Malandain Ballet Biarritz: “Les Saisons” by Thierry Malandain Place Byham Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, May 7, 2025 Words Steve Sucato Pattern and symmetry are the modus operandi of choreographer Thierry Malandain’s “Les Saisons” (2023), performed by his Malandain Ballet Biarritz contemporary ballet company to close out the Pittsburgh Dance Council’s 2024-2025 season. Malandain’s “Les Saisons” is set to both Vivaldi’s famous composition and composer Giovanni … Continue reading Changing of the Seasons [REVIEW]

Wondrousland [REVIEW]

PerformanceTulsa Ballet: “Alice in Wonderland” by Kenneth TindallPlaceTulsa Performing Arts Center, Tulsa, OK, February 28, 2025WordsSteve Sucato With each dance season’s new ballets, some become memorable with audiences and critics for their artistry and emotional connection, fewer reveal themselves as hits, and even fewer have the potential to become box office record breakers. Tulsa Ballet’s new “Alice in Wonderland” is the rare gem that does … Continue reading Wondrousland [REVIEW]